The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) on Thursday threatened to suspend Turkish Airlines operations to Nigeria by December 16, 2019, pending when it would deploy bigger aircraft that could airlift passengers along with their checked in luggage.
The regulatory authority gave the directive in reaction to the protracted habit of Turkish Airlines delay of passengers luggage, bringing their luggage days after the passengers have arrived their destination.
NCAA said that by December 16 it would enforce the suspension until when the Istanbul based mega carrier was ready to fly with the right size of aircraft that could transport all passengers with their baggage at the same time.
The directive was contained in a letter to the airline by the NCAA’s Acting Director General, Captain Abdullahi Sidi, on Wednesday.
Sidi, in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja by the Director, Public Affairs, Ministry of Aviation, Mr. James Odaudu, said the NCAA expressed displeasure over the incidence, which it said had been going on for over two weeks.
According to him, the incidence has become so bad that the most recent flights arrived without more than 85 per cent of passengers’ baggage on board.
He said: “Our airport authority has been facing serious crises controlling the passengers at the airport whenever they arrive without their baggage. This issue has made passengers to carry out several mob actions at our airport and it is a great threat to our airport facilities.
“In view of all these, and a series of meetings held with the Turkish Airlines personnel, which did not yield any solution to this problem, the NCAA is therefore left with no option than to direct Turkish Airlines to suspend its operations into Nigeria until such a time when the airline is ready to operate with the right size of aircraft that can transport all passengers with their baggage at the same time.”
He said if no remedial action was carried out by the airline the suspension shall be effective from the December 16.
But Turkish Airlines in reaction to media report on NCAA directive said it is continuing its operations in Nigeria.
